Robert28
Senior Member
I got drug to a few yard sales last weekend by the better half (against my will ofcourse, but my will doesn’t matter much these days 
) I thought the entire morning “great, I get to waste an entire half a day looking through other people’s junk with other oddballs. Turns out I was the one who bought anything, she didn’t.
I spied an old Stihl chainsaw in a bunch of other tools and stuff off to the side. Walked over to it, noticed it didn’t have a bar but I quickly noticed it was an 026…..and an early one judging by the red lever. Guy who him and his wife are having the sale walks over to me and sees me messing with it, says “it doesn’t run, it’s sat up for years and last time it ran it would idle high and then die.” I asked if it was for sale and he said it was, would I do $100? He’s got a new 18” bar and chain to go with it in the shed, I say “$100? For the bar and chain too? Sure why not”
I already knew I wasn’t going to put the 18” bar on this saw if I could get it running anyways, I kept it for a backup bar and chain for my 261.
Took it home and started it. It had good compression and on the 4th pull it “popped” and then fired up after taking it off choke and pulling 3 times. He was right, ran like it needed ALOT of work. I’m thinking “well there went $100 down the drain”. But I started taking it apart and decided to start with the simple things. Air filter needed replacing, carb definitely needed cleaning bad, screen was gunked up, fuel tank needed flushing, but taking off the muffler I could see the piston wasn’t scored and the fuel lines weren’t cracked. Did an air test, no leaks, don’t need to replace the gaskets (right now anyways, maybe down the road I will).
I messed with it here and there for 3 days. Needed a new 16” bar for it but all I could find at the dealer was a farm boss bar so I got it and a yellow chain. She cleaned up pretty nice, runs like a top now. Looks weird with a farm boss bar on it but hey it works. This is my backup saw and saw I’ll use in dirty wood. Probably gonna end up being my favorite saw even though I have a 261, Husqvarna 550 xp and a 440.
I spied an old Stihl chainsaw in a bunch of other tools and stuff off to the side. Walked over to it, noticed it didn’t have a bar but I quickly noticed it was an 026…..and an early one judging by the red lever. Guy who him and his wife are having the sale walks over to me and sees me messing with it, says “it doesn’t run, it’s sat up for years and last time it ran it would idle high and then die.” I asked if it was for sale and he said it was, would I do $100? He’s got a new 18” bar and chain to go with it in the shed, I say “$100? For the bar and chain too? Sure why not”I already knew I wasn’t going to put the 18” bar on this saw if I could get it running anyways, I kept it for a backup bar and chain for my 261.
Took it home and started it. It had good compression and on the 4th pull it “popped” and then fired up after taking it off choke and pulling 3 times. He was right, ran like it needed ALOT of work. I’m thinking “well there went $100 down the drain”. But I started taking it apart and decided to start with the simple things. Air filter needed replacing, carb definitely needed cleaning bad, screen was gunked up, fuel tank needed flushing, but taking off the muffler I could see the piston wasn’t scored and the fuel lines weren’t cracked. Did an air test, no leaks, don’t need to replace the gaskets (right now anyways, maybe down the road I will).
I messed with it here and there for 3 days. Needed a new 16” bar for it but all I could find at the dealer was a farm boss bar so I got it and a yellow chain. She cleaned up pretty nice, runs like a top now. Looks weird with a farm boss bar on it but hey it works. This is my backup saw and saw I’ll use in dirty wood. Probably gonna end up being my favorite saw even though I have a 261, Husqvarna 550 xp and a 440.
